With the world now more dependent for food on an ever-decreasing amount of cultivated land, it is necessary to develop more effective fungicides and plant-growth regulators which protect the planted crops.
Davenport et al, U.K. Pat. No. 1,218,623, has disclosed substituted 5-pyrimidine compounds which possessed non-systemic fungicidal, herbicidal and plantgrowth regulating activity. Belgium Pat. No. 729,996 discloses pyrazinyl compounds possessing fungicidal activity.
Godefrol et al in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,658,813 and 3,839,574 have disclosed 1-(beta-aryl)ethyl imidazolo ethers and amines as useful fungicides and bacteriocides. I have found that the 5-pyrimidyl-containing ethers of this invention are surprisingly effective as systemic fungicides. Moreover, some of the compounds of this invention are particularly effective as herbicides and as plant-growth regulators.